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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

It has been a terribly busy week with back to back weekend retreats with Two Scrapbook Friends! We returned home on Sunday from our first weekend and we leave again tomorrow for our second weekend! The first weekend was so much fun and I am looking forward to another wonderful group of ladies who will be joining us this coming weekend.

Despite the busyness of my schedule, I was able to complete a layout for the challenge that Regan posted at Little Red Wagon. She gave us this inspiration photo to work with.

Can you say gorgeous? I took the main colors in the photo (yellow and gray with a hint of turquoise) and used them on this layout.

I had this great photo of my niece, Sarah, that I took this past summer and when I converted it to black and white it went perfectly with this combination of papers I pulled together!

I added a few fun details, including some ribbon I borrowed from Christa and some epoxy stickers from Mary, and it all came together.

I hope you join along this week and create something using the photo. Then hop over to Little Red Wagon and link up your design. We would love to see your work :)

Sunday, October 16, 2011

A couple of weeks ago I found a recipe for Lemonade Cake! I love lemonade so the whole idea of a lemonade cake totally appealed to me. I gave the recipe a try and it was as good as I imagined it would be!

The ingredients are simple and it was easy to assemble.

The cake is really moist, with a great lemony flavor! There is even lemonade in the cream cheese icing!

I kept the cake refrigerated until I served it and it was sooooo delicious!

If you like lemonade you have to give this recipe a try! I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

In mixer, beat all your ingredients on low for 30 seconds and then on medium for 2 minutes.

Keep the remaining frozen lemonade concentrate in the freezer...you will need it again.

Bake according to package directions until cake is set and toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in pan...about an hour. Do not remove.

When the cakes are cooled level them off so they are flat on top.

Poke holes in cake that wasn't cut using a fork.

Make your glaze. In a medium bowl combine powdered sugar, lemonade and water.Stir until smooth.

Pour equally over the top of the cakes..still in the cake pans.

Cover and let sit for at least an hour, but overnight is best in refrigerator.

Make your frosting. Cream butter and cream cheese together until combined.With mixer on low add your lemonade and vanilla.Slowly add in your powdered sugar and then beat on medium for 1-2 minutes until smooth.

When ready to frost remove your cakes from the refrigerator.Loosen cake around the edges with a butter knife so they will release easily.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

This past weekend was a great time spent with family. I made a trip home on Friday to visit with my Mom and to attend a surprise birthday party for my sister, Mary! My niece, Danielle, planned the party which was held on Saturday. About 25 of us were hiding in her kitchen when she came home from a friend's house late in the afternoon, and she was totally surprised!! Unfortunately, I remembered to bring everything I needed to bring to the party, except my camera! That's right, not a single photo was taken! I was soooo disappointed!

Then I was on the road at about 7:00am on Sunday to head back home for our Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, stuffing, salads, vegetable casserole and more were waiting to be prepared. There were just five of us for dinner, but we always make our traditional meal and it was wonderful!

I made up some place favors before I left for the weekend and they were a perfect compliment for our table.

I also hung my 'Giving Thanks' banner from the banner swap at Two Scrapbook Friends! It is so gorgeous and added a festive feel to our dining room.

As I look back on the weekend, I realize there is always so much to be thankful for. I hope your weekend was equally blessed.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

For this week's challenge at Little Red Wagon we are supposed to make something with the theme of 'giving thanks'.

I decided to make a card using a sweet little stamp from My Favorite Things called Heart Stripes.

She is just so very cute and I thought she would look adorable with a fall outfit. So I used papers from American Crafts and did some paper piecing on her dress and boots. Then I used my Copic Markers to complete the image.

I also used a Die-namics die for the clouds, some Elzybells Stamps for the sentiment and I finished the card by adding some stitching, twine and a button.

I think this card is one of my all-time favorites! I just love the colors and how everything came together!

Would you consider joining us this week? Just make something with a 'giving thanks' theme and link it up at Little Red Wagon. We would love to see what you create :)

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Belonging to a Book Club has been an interesting and enjoyable experience. This past month was my turn to pick the book and host the discussion time. I chose the book The Help. It was a fabulous read and I also enjoyed seeing the movie with my Movie Club!

While I was thinking about hosting the club for our discussion about the book, I saw that my friend Donna-Marie was offering a cooking class at her new studio, Relish Cooking Studio, called Recipes from The Help! How perfect! Our Book Club readily agreed that we would sign up for a night of southern cooking and discuss the book at the same time.

Relish Cooking Studio is an amazing place! The decor is gorgeous and the evening of cooking was wonderful. Here are a few photos that I took while we were there ~

Yes, our evening ended with a piece of Two Slice Chocolate Pie (without the Terrible Awful!).

If you ever have a chance to visit Relish Cooking Studio you won't be disappointed! They have a number of great classes coming up and they sell the finest in cookware, spices, chocolate, utensils, etc.

Now I am off to grab a cup of coffee and start reading our next book, Irma Voth, by Miriam Toews. I hope it is good!

Life is good and each new day holds many blessings if we but know how to recognize them! My blog is a place where I can share some of the blessings in my life including my love of family, paper crafting, travel, cooking and reading. Thanks for stopping by!